


Rescue Attempt

by KateKintail



Series: The Great Beyond [46]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2013-07-08
Packaged: 2017-12-18 02:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/874568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateKintail/pseuds/KateKintail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James worries when his brother is missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescue Attempt

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not my characters or world or anything like that! I make no money at all from this! 
> 
> Author Notes: Written for the Harry Potter May Madness community in 2013. I’m going to try to set all my stories this month in my “The Great Beyond” series (though I probably won't write them in any particular order): http://archiveofourown.org/series/35656

James tried to concentrate on his homework. But the subject of his History of Magic essay was just plain boring. Plus, he was sleepy. It was tempting to just nod off here in front of the Gryffindor Common Room fire. Lily had finished her homework and gone to bed almost an hour ago. And his cousins had all done likewise, apart from Justin, who was working on something for Transfiguration; he kept trying to change quills into something and cursing to himself as they burst into other writing implements, apparently not what he was aiming for. But James hadn’t seen his little brother in quite some time. 

Al worked in the library frequently; it was possible he was there tonight. But the library closed at ten and students were expected to return to their common rooms then, which was almost an hour ago. James waited until eleven. Then he headed up to his room to grab the invisibility cloak from his trunk. 

It wasn’t there. “Oh, Al. What are you up to?” A hundred thoughts of mischief rushed through his mind. Al could be anywhere—the Forbidden Forest, the Restricted Section, the kitchens, the greenhouses, the dungeons, the other towers, the town. Where would James check first? “Lily!” He bounded down the stairs and back to the common room. He looked about, hoping, and found two fifth year girls. It was worth a shot. “I really need to speak with my sister, Lily. Could you go get her?”

They hesitated. They didn’t know her all that well, being in different years and all, but when James Potter asked, people seemed to answer. Lily appeared a few minutes later, blinking blearily, in her pajamas, and feeling rather annoyed. “What’s so important?”

James took her aside, whispered as softly as he could. “Al’s not back yet. I want to know what he’s up to. You’ve got the map, right?” 

“Al?”

“The map?”

She sighed and went to get it. They chose an empty table and spread the map out. They studied it closely. There were huge black blobs in the areas of the common rooms, where students were supposed to be at this time of night. There were a few in the hospital wing, but Albus wasn’t among them. There were teachers in their private rooms or offices, probably doing late night grading or preparations for their next classes. But James didn’t see Al anywhere on the map. 

“Ugh,” Lily said, pointing to a spot by the one-eyed witch, behind which was a passage that led to Hogsmeade. “It’s Scorpius Malfoy.” 

James scooted his chair over and stared at the dot Lily’s finger indicated. “D’you think he knows about the secret passageway?”

“Don’t know where he could have learned about it. I didn’t tell him!”

“Neither did I. And I’m sure Al—“

“There he is!” The little dot on the map appeared inside the passageway, paused for a moment as Al apparently climbed out, and then went straight up to Scorpius’ dot. 

“Oh no!” James jumped up. “Scorpius probably saw him. They could be fighting! I’ve got to go.”

Lily rolled up the map. “I’m going too!”

“Lily—“

“I’m going,” she insisted, stubbornly. 

They ran. It was risky, walking through the castle without the cloak. James wished they had it, for Lily more than for himself. He didn’t want her getting in trouble just because Al wanted to go to Hogsmeade in the middle of the night and happened to be unlucky enough to run into Scorpius. Or maybe Scorpius had known Al was going and was watching for him to return, to catch him. 

As they waited for a staircase to swing their way, Lily checked the map again. “They’re right on top of each other.”

“Gotta be fighting.”

“Al!” Lily whimpered. “I swear, if Scorpius hurts him, I’ll…”

“You and me both,” James agreed, his hands clenched into fists at either side. 

They took the stairs at a run again. Stairs, corridors, doorways, more corridors. They finally made their way to the third floor, not sure what they would encounter when they got there. However, once they did, they froze on the spot. 

Scorpius and Al weren’t fighting. They weren’t picking themselves up after just finishing a fight either. They were snogging. Full-on snogging. Bodies pressed close together, rubbing together, lips locked and tongues playing. Super serious absolutely into each other snogging. 

James wasn’t sure how to react, apart from swallowing so he didn’t get sick to his stomach. But Lily gasped. And everyone heard her.

Al and Scorpius stumbled and broke apart. James noticed the way both their robes tented, and he winched. “Ah… hi, guys.” Al rubbed his hand at the back of his neck.

“We thought you were in trouble,” James said. “We were coming to rescue you.”

“From me.” Scorpius’ voice was cool, calm, calculating.

James hesitated. “Um, yes.”

Scorpius put an arm around Al’s waist, pulling him close. Al folded into him, fitting comfortably, apparently quite familiar. Scorpius spoke. “Well, as you can see, he’s fine.” 

James could definitely see that. 

“And I’ve got the Invisibility Cloak. We weren’t in any danger.” 

James wasn’t sure what to say. Though before he could say anything, there was a sound. From down the hall. A door sliding open. Footsteps. Lily checked the map. “Filch!” she hissed. 

“Back to our common rooms!” James ordered. 

There was no time to debate. But there was time for Al and Scorpius to share a quick kiss. 

Then they all ran. Through the corridors, doorways, more corridors, and stairs. “We’re going to have a talk about this when we get back,” James said, sounding stern and a little out of breath. 

Al chewed on his lower lip. “I know.”


End file.
